AN £85 million project to improve thousands of homes in Widnes and Runcorn has been completed – 14 months ahead of schedule.
Contractors appointed to work on behalf of Halton Housing Trust have installed nearly 4,000 kitchens, more than 3,000 bathrooms and rewired more than 1,300 homes during the works.
Nick Atkin, Chief Executive of the Trust, said the contractors had worked hard to achieve the ‘Halton Standard’ which is far higher than the Decent Homes Standard specified by Government.
“Everyone has had a collective focus on raising the standard of our customers’ homes” he said.
“This has been the first phase of our major investment that has injected millions of pounds into improving the quality of neighbourhoods in Widnes and Runcorn.”
Other improvements to homes include the installation of 2,667 energy efficient boilers, 729 central heating systems and more than 5,000 electrical upgrades.
More than 8,000 double glazed windows have been fitted and a further 4,421 homes have seen improved insulation installed.
Work began nearly four years ago, but finished this month. This was well ahead of the original target date of December 2010
Mum-of-two Janet Entwhistle, from Kingsley Road, in Runcorn, became part of the celebrations as work on her home helped the Trust reach its landmark. Improvements were made to her kitchen that included a full refit and a new economical boiler.
“I am delighted with the work the Trust has undertaken because it is a massive improvement on what I had before. The work only took seven days and I had a full choice of colours and designs to choose from as well as being fully involved in the layout of the units. I was kept informed every step of the way and the service was first class.
“If I had to pay for a new kitchen it would cost me thousands of pounds, so I am really thankful to the Trust for the improvements they have made to my home," she said.
A majority of the 6,120 homes have now benefited from improvements since their transfer to the Trust nearly four years ago. However, the Trust now intends to revisit the homes of customers who declined the improvements works the first time around.
George Crawley, project manager for the contractor Bramall’s, said his team had worked hard to ensure quality and hitting its deadline.
“It has been a massive project, but one that we have completed successfully and in good time,” he said.
“We just hope everyone enjoys the improvements to their homes and that it makes a big difference to their lives.”
Bramall Construction were part of a panel of four contractors including Sure, Connaughts and Bullock Construction as well as the Trust’s own in-house Construction Services Team that worked on the improvement programme.